Rotatable sign.



D. I. WHITBSIDE. ROTATABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 1a. 1908.

939,768. Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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D. I. WHITESIDE.

ROTATABLE SIGN.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.18,1908.

939,768. 9 Patented Nov. 9, 1909.

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DONALD I. WHITESIDE, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ROTATABLE SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 3 1999.

Application filed September 18, 1908. Serial No. 453,839.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD I. lVHI'rnsron, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Francisco, in the county of San Fran cisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvement in Rotatable Signs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide a rotary sign for advertising purposes particularly adapted to be located in large open surfaces exposed to the action of the wind, such as at the sides of railways or highways, roofs of buildings, near ferry landings and the like.

The rotary signs heretofore used, so far as my knowledge extends, have been of con1- paratively small dimensions, made of sheet metal to be placed at the entrances of stores and the like, and are not adapted to display large advertisements visible at a great distance.

The object of the present invention is to provide a sign which will accomplish the above object, and which will be cheap and simple in construction and durable in use.

A further object is to provide, in such a sign, means for insuring a uniform speed of rotation.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view of the sign; Fig. 2 is a side view,- Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 33 of Fig. 4; Fig. 4 is a cross section on the line el l to Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates a post firmly secured in the ground. In the top of said post is screwed a screw 2 around which are two washers 3, 4t, upon the upper one of which is supported the frame of the device. Said frame is prismatic, preferably of three sides, and is here shown as comprising three cross pieces 5, 6, 7, crossing one another, three walls 8, 9, 10 secured each at right angles to one of the cross pieces, and a lower transverse cross piece 11 having an aperture through which the post passes. Said cross pieces, as likewise the'walls, are inclined toward one another at an angle of degrees, and each wall is extended past an end of an adjacent wall, as shown at 12, to form a wing. Said walls are additionally braced at the corner by triangular corner Secured to the outer edge of each wing and extending obliquely therefrom is an edge piece 14. Joined to the top of each wall, of its adjacent wing and the corre sponding edge piece is a wind stop 15, and a similar wind stop 16 is secured to the bottom of each wall, adjacent wing and edge piece, each wind stop having one edge corresponding with the width of the wing, another short edge corresponding with the width of the edge piece, a longer edge extending substantially over one half the width of the wall, and a fourth or outer edge being free. I have found that an apparatus of this construction, even if made of wood and of large size, will rotate easily even with a comparatively light wind. The wind striking the face of each wall is deflected therealong until it strikes a wing, and then imparts its force to said wing to produce a rotation of the device.

It is desirable for the purpose of displaying advertisements that the rotary motion should be as uniform as possible and not too rapid. In order to prevent excessively rapid rotation, I provide a brake, which con sists of a strap 20 surrounding the post, the ends of which are connected at two points to a brake lever 21, one point of attachment being at the pivot 22, and the other at the end of a short arm 23 of the lever. The end of the long arm of said lever is attached to a spring 24, the other end of which is attached to the inner surface of one of the walls, and to said end of said long arm is also attached a cord 25 which passes through a loop or staple 26 upon the lower cross piece, and at the free end of said cord extending through said loop, is attached to a weight 27. When the speed of rotation of the device exceeds a certain limit, determined by the tension of the spring, the centrifugal force of the weight tightens the brake strap around the post, and prevents any further increase in speed.

I claim 1. The combination of a post, walls arranged at an angle of 60 degrees with one another, each wall extending beyond the edge of an adjacent wall, a cross piece secured to the upper portion of each wall on the inner surface at the middle thereof and extending at right angles therefrom, a pivot frame around the post, each side of which is cord secured to said weight and to the brake extended beyond an adjacent side to form a I lever, substantially as described.

wing at an angle with the latter, cross pieces In testimony whereof I have hereunto set connected with the sides, a metallic element my hand in the presence of two subscribing pgssed through said cross pieces into itlhe top witnesses,

o the 30st, a lower cross iece t rou h which tlie post passes, a brake lever pivot ed DONALD VVHITESIDE thereon, a strap secured to said lever and Witnesses:

surrounding the post, a spring secured to F. M. VRIGHT,

10 said lever and to the frame, a Weight, and a I D. B. RICHARDS. 

